Kayaking,camping,rolling, practicing,paddle making, ..Writing,blogging and nautical miles from a normal life

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

SOF Build: Ribs, steak and mixed berries

Having the house to myself for the past week the house has temporarily turned into a functional kayakers house. One kayak sits in the living room to stay nice and dry, my steam box sits atop my sink. It doesn't seem to impede my "cooking for one" lifestyle this week. Steak and mixed fruit for supper!! By the time supper was done I could bend some more ribs!

After experimenting with the steam box I wasn't pleased with the low yield of success. One person wrote me and said that steaming it could be allowing the sap and such to seep out of it making it brittle. Heck sounded about right for what I was seeing. I decided to use the method pointed out to me by Sean Dawe in Cesars Bark Canoe NFB video. No harm in trying I figured!! Using one of my wife's old pots ( or maybe it looks old cause she likes it and uses it alot...who knows!) I placed one rib end in the boiling water and with a coffee cup poured hot water down both sides.

Using the bending Jig I made up (note army belt put to good use!)......

I had fantastic results with only about 10 percent failure. Much quicker, and productive method.

I still have some ribs to finish up tomorrow....alas I am city bound with neighbours and noise restrictions after hours......

Yes the significant others of kayakers either adapt or go nuts I figure!

By far the best way to do ribs. Me and Rob took time steaming and prebending and had very poor success. With the pouring of boiling water I've even bent kiln dried wood with zero issue! The cockpit coaming no longer intimidates me!

I hear yah...I've spent the past 12 years living in subpar conditions for a living...you wouldnt believe what I would be cozy living in!